Jongno bakery for onion bagels and milk cream bread: Munhwa Bakery

Munhwa Bakery (문화제빵) in Ikseon-dong—seriously, such a delicious bakery!

I've been completely into Ikseon-dong lately. Whenever I get the chance, I just head over, wander around, have coffee, and grab a meal. There are so many delicious things in Ikseon-dong, and among them, this bakery, Munhwa Bakery, was really good. It's somewhere I want to revisit.

Munhwa Bakery location and things to know before visiting

• Location: 1F, 65 Donhwamun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00
• Takeaway available
• Closed for Chuseok on 09/25

The hanok-inspired interior here is so charming! The bread is displayed neatly in showcases, which made it nice to choose bread in a hygienic way. The space is small, so it's best to line up and enter two parties at a time!

A bakery of a lifetime, one of Seoul's top three bakeries

An Ikseon-dong bakery that is great for choosing freshly baked bread

The breads don't have the flashy looks of desserts at huge bakery cafés, but wow! They look so appetizing. First of all, the turnover is incredibly good. I think the best bread is freshly baked bread, and here customers line up to buy it as soon as it comes out, so you can always eat freshly baked bread. That is such a huge advantage.

If you're looking for a great bakery in Ikseon-dong, you really have to visit here. The breads I bought were so delicious that I want to name it my bakery of a lifetime. The moment you take a bite, you totally understand why people call it one of Seoul's top three bakeries!!!!!! You automatically think, oh, this place is good!!!!

Three picks: garlic bread, onion bagel, and milk cream bread

Looking at the menu, there are simple, clean-tasting options, steady-selling breads, and trendy breads, too. I bought three: the signature garlic bread that the people ahead of me kept buying, the plump-looking onion bagel, and the milk cream bread, whose sweet cream had an impressive fluffy, chewy texture.

Everything looked delicious, so it was hard to choose. These were truly freshly baked, so the very best thing is to eat them right after buying them. They literally melt in your mouth.

The sliced onion bagel I ate while walking

The onion bagel was crisp on the outside, yet chewy and moist inside. The cream was a little thick but soft, with a slight sweetness, and it went so well with the bagel's chewiness. They can slice it if you ask, so eating it while walking around was seriously amazing. It would be sooo good with an Americano!!!!

Moist garlic bread I ate at home

The portion is generous for the price. Maybe because it is mainly a takeaway shop, but by my own standards, it felt like you got a lot for the price of the bread? And it really felt like they did not compromise on taste, either. This garlic bread in particular was so moist that, hahaha, it was even fluffy. It would probably be really delicious eaten right away, and since it is a little sweet too, I think it would pair well with an Americano or latte.

I ate this garlic bread after getting home, and it had become a little soggy, but the sauce was slathered on so generously that it was incredibly moist even though it was baguette bread. It was soft and delicious, too. I finished every last bit.

Lastly, the milk cream bread I ate while walking down the street!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Personally, this was so good. It has wonderfully soft, chewy bread filled with a sticky milk cream, almost like custard cream—wow, it is sweet and so delicious. This would be the absolute best with plain milk.

Bread I will take away again whenever I visit Ikseon-dong

I bought three kinds of bread, and from now on, this is the bakery for me in Ikseon-dong. There are so many great places in Ikseon-dong that I can't go only here, but whenever I visit, I will definitely take away Munhwa Bakery garlic bread before I head home!!!!! Note to self, note to self!!!!!!!

After buying bread, I went across the street to buy a lottery ticket, and even the lottery shop owner saw my Munhwa Bakery paper bag and raved about how delicious it is.

I will definitely revisit! I will definitely take away garlic bread before heading home, hahaha. It is a bakery recognized as one of Seoul's top three bakeries, so I recommend visiting at least once, hahaha. These aren't dry breads with an instant-food feel, or breads that only look pretty—the fresh, soft texture is a work of art. Everything was fresh and delicious. It is good to share with children, too.